Pop: “It’s the best thing for our team”

MIAMI — Staring down his largest pregame media contingent in sometime, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich defended his decision to rest four top players in tonight’s nationally televised game against the NBA champion Miami Heat.

“It’s the best thing for our team,” Popovich said.

Faced with the last of a four-games-in-five-nights stretch that wraps up the most road-heavy November in team history, Popovich sent Tim Duncan, Tony Parker, Manu Ginobili and Danny Green home after Wednesday night’s blowout victory in Orlando.

With Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Jackson already out with injury, it leaves the Spurs with nine players in uniform tonight at American AirlinesArena. The starting five against LeBron James and Co: Patty Mills, Nando De Colo, Boris Diaw, Matt Bonner and Tiago Splitter.

Popovich said it would be “unwise” to play his 30-something stars at the end of such a trip, especially with a daunting home date with Memphis, a Southwest Division rival, looming upon the team’s return Saturday. Hence the decision to face the Heat with four of his top five scorers at home.

“We’ve done this before in hopes of making a wiser decision, rather than a popular decision,” Popovich said.

“It’s pretty logical,” he added. “I don’t think it was a tough decision at all. In fact, it was made when the schedule came out.”

The fact that the game is to be aired nationally on TNT did not affect the decision, Popovich said. Neither did the fact that it was against a marquee opponent.

“It has nothing to do with the Miami Heat, or TV, or anything,” Popovich said. “You deal with the schedule as best you can and do the wisest thing for your particular team.”

Popovich said he sympathized with local fans who bought tickets to the game hoping to see their Spurs players in action.

“If I was taking my 6-year-old son or daughter to the game, I’d want him or her to see everybody,” Popovich said. “So I understand that perspective.

“Hopefully, people in that position will understand my perspective. My priority is my basketball team and what’s best for it.”